This invention relates generally to packing systems and particularly to a system for aligning and packing substantially flat objects.
An important area for automation is packaging. Frequently, manufactured parts move along conveyor lines to an area where they are packed for shipment. In order to automatically pack the parts, it is necessary that they be properly oriented and aligned at some point before they are transferred to a shipping container. An example of parts which lend themselves to automatic packing are the ceramic beads which are used to hold the various electrodes of electron guns in the required spacing and orientation. The ceramic beads typically are substantially rectangular flat pieces. The beads are made of a formable material and passed through an oven where they are hardened. The beads travel on a conveyor through the oven and typically are arranged in nonaligned, irregularly spaced rows which extend transversely across the conveyor. The hardened ceramic beads are conveyed through an inspection area to a packing area where the beads are loaded into containers. Automatic packing of the finished beads requires that the beads be properly aligned on the conveyor prior to reaching the packing area. The present invention therefore is directed toward a system for aligning and packing substantially flat objects which initially are nonaligned and are arranged irregularly spaced rows.